The City of Carlisle

The ancient city of Carlisle is situated in Cumberland ward, nearly
surrounded by the rivers Eden, Pettrell, and Caldew, 305 miles from
London on the great western road to Glasgow, and not more than 13 from
the borders of Scotland.

Figure 36:Plan of Carlisle

There is no doubt that this city, called by the Britons Caerleyl or Caer-leol,
was the Luguvallum of the Romans mentioned in the Itinerary of Antoninus.
We are told by two of the Scottish historians (fn. n1) that Carlisle, one of the
strongest of the British towns was burnt by the Scots during the absence
of the Romans in the reign of the Emperor Nero. It must have been
after this event, and probably in the time of Agricola, that Carlisle was fortified with walls by the Romans as a strong frontier town, against the invasions
of the Picts and Scots. So durable was their structure, that notwithstanding the recorded desolation of this town by the Danes, and the many subsequent repairs of the walls after its sundry sieges, much Roman masonry
remained till of late years in different parts, particularly on the east side.
When St. Cuthbert was at Carlisle in 685, we are told by Bede, that the
citizens took him to see the walls and a well of curious workmanship made
by the Romans. (fn. n2)

It was about the year 875, that Carlisle was destroyed by the Danes; and
from that time, according to all our historians, it lay desolate till after the
Norman conquest (fn. n3). None of the historians speak of any thing being done
towards restoring the city before the time of William Rufus, except Matthew
of Westminster, who says, that Ranulph de Meschines began it as soon as
he had received the grant of Cumberland from the conqueror; and that
William himself, on his return from Scotland in 1072, gave orders for fortifying
Carlisle. If this account is to be credited, it seems clear that little progress
was made at that time in the work; for the same author, in common with all
the other historians, attributes the restoring of Carlisle and the building of
the castle to William Rufus, who was at this city, and garrisoned it in 1092.
That monarch sent a colony from the south of England to inhabit the
city, and to cultivate the neighbouring lands. It is probable that the fortifications were some years in finishing, for it appears, that King Henry I.
being at Carlisle in the year 1122, disbursed money for the building of the
walls and castle: it is possible that they might have been then completed,
although it is not improbable that both the castle and the walls were
finished by David King of Scots, who, during several years possessed, and
occasionally resided at this city. Fordun attributes the building of the
castle, and the heightening of the walls to this monarch, and makes the
date 1138: it is probable that he then gave orders for the latter, and for
completing the buildings of the castle.

This city being a most important frontier town was frequently besieged during the wars between the English and the Scots, by which this county was particularly harrassed, in consequence of the contested claim to its dominion
already spoken of. In the year 1135 Carlisle was taken possession of by David
King of Scots, either by stratagem or a coup de main: in 1173, it was ineffectually besieged by William, King of Scotland; who returning the next year,
regularly invested the city and continued the siege for several months. The
garrison reduced to great straits and on the point of surrendering, was relieved
by the capture of the Scottish king at Alnwick. His successor, Alexander,
took the city in 1216; and as Fordun relates, afterwards the castle, which had
held out during a protracted siege. Carlisle was surrendered to the English
in 1217, and Walter de Grey Archbishop of York, sent to take possession
of the castle. The writer of the Chronicle of Lanercost says, that the
canons of Carlisle were banished by Gualo the Pope's legate, because, through
fear of death, they had said mass for the Scottish king, when under sentence
of excommunication.

In 1296, Carlisle was besieged for four days by the Earls of Buchan,
Menteth, and other Scottish nobles; but was so bravely defended by its
inhabitants, both men and women, that the siege was abandoned after three
days. William Wallace, passing that way with his army, summoned
Carlisle the following year, but finding the garrison prepared, did not stay
to besiege it.

In 1315, Robert Brus then King of Scotland, besieged Carlisle for ten or
eleven days (fn. n4); it was bravely and successfully defended by its governor,
Andrew de Hercla, afterwards Earl of Carlisle, who, in 1322, having been
accused of a treasonable correspondence with the Scots, was arrested on the
20th of September by Lord Lucy, in the castle of Carlisle, of which he was
then governor (fn. n5), degraded from all his honours, and executed. This city
is said to have been besieged and its suburbs burnt by the Scots in 1337,
and again (Sir William Douglas being then their leader) in 1345. In 1380
an attempt was made on Carlisle, and one of its streets set on fire, by a party
of borderers; and another ineffectual attack was made on it in 1385.

An army of Scots in the interest of King Henry VI. besieged this
city without any other effect than burning the suburbs in 1461. In
1537 it was besieged by Nicholas Musgrave and other rebels, who were
repulsed by the inhabitants. The attack on Carlisle Castle by William Scott,
Lord of Buccleugh, in 1596, was not the least remarkable for its boldness
and success. William Armstrong, a noted borderer, celebrated in ballads
by the name of "Kinmont Willie," having been taken and carried prisoner
to Carlisle on a day of truce, his release was demanded without effect.
While redress was delayed, William Scott came with a party of 200 horse
before break of day, made a breach in the castle, and carried off the prisoner
in triumph before the garrison was prepared for defence. (fn. n6)

The garrison of Carlisle was reduced on the accession of King James in 1603.
In consequence of the commotions in Scotland in 1639, a garrison of 500
Irish soldiers was placed in it. The Earl of Strafford, in a letter dated May 30,
recommends that it should be increased to 1500 (fn. n7). It was reported to parliament, Oct. 20, 1641, that the garrison of Carlisle was disbanded and the
soldiers sent to Ireland; the arms and ammunition were ordered to be kept
and well laid up till the next spring (fn. n8). During the civil war which so soon
afterwards ensued, Carlisle being occupied by the Royalists, and the Marquis of Montrose having retreated thither, was attacked in the month of
May 1644 by the Earl of Calendar, who appears to have soon abandoned
the siege (fn. n9). In the month of July following, Sir Thomas Glenham, who was
the commander-in-chief in the North, after the capture of Newcastle, threw
himself with his forces into Carlisle, where, in the month of October, he was
besieged by General Lesley, with a detachment of the Scottish army; he
defended the place, as Lord Clarendon observes, with very remarkable circumstances of courage, industry, and patience. Their provisions having
been some time exhausted, and the inhabitants having been driven to subsist on the flesh of horses, dogs, and other animals, the city was at length
surrendered to General Lesley, who then lay before it with the Scottish
army, on the most honourable terms, the 25th of June 1645 (fn. n10). A coinage
of shillings and three shilling pieces took place towards the latter end of
the siege, specimens of which are to be found in the cabinets of collectors.
The shillings are rather uncommon; the three shilling pieces extremely
rare.

In the year 1648, when some of the last efforts were made to restore the
power of the captive monarch; Sir Philip Musgrave, a zealous royalist,
about the end of April took possession of Carlisle by surprise: the beginning
of July he gave it up to the Duke of Hamilton, who garrisoned it with
Scots, and appointed Sir William Levingston the governor: on the first
of October it was surrendered to Cromwell, pursuant to a treaty made some
time before, between the Marquis of Argyle and General Munroe. A large
garrison was kept up at Carlisle two or three years after this; we find
mention of Major General Harrison having sent 2000 horse from the garrison in pursuit of a party of Scots, in the month of June 1651 (fn. n11). Sir Philip
Musgrave, who had been so active a royalist during the civil war, and was
in consequence proscribed by the parliament, was made governor of Carlisle
after the restoration.

During the rebellion of 1745, Charles Stuart having determined on the
rash step of an invasion of this kingdom, entered Cumberland with the
Duke of Perth, and an army of Highlanders; they laid siege to Carlisle,
which was but ill defended with a garrison of militia, and two small companies of invalids, under the command of Colonel Durand, in the castle.
The city was summoned on the 9th. The rebels approached in three
divisions; the Duke of Perth approaching from Stanwix, the Marquis of
Tullibarden towards Caldewgate, and Charles Stuart towards the Englishgate. The latter had his head quarters at Blackhall and Moorhouse.
The Duke of Perth was generalissimo of the army. The rebels lay before
it till the eleventh, on which day they marched to Brampton, where,
according to Smollet, the keys of the city were delivered to Charles
Stuart, by the mayor and corporation on their knees. He returned to
the siege on the 13th, and the town and castle being but ill-defended, were
both surrendered on the 15th. The Pretender was immediately proclaimed
King of Great Britain, and his son regent, by the corporation in their
robes.

The rebels, when they marched southward, left a small garrison in Carlisle. This, when they returned on their retreat to Scotland, on the 19th
of December, was augmented, and the garrison was joined by several
English, attached to the Pretender's interest. The Duke of Cumberland
having pursued the rebels in their retreat, appeared with his army before
Carlisle on the 21st of that month, but did not erect his batteries till the
28th, having waited for the arrival of cannon from Whitehaven. The garrison surrendered on the 30th, without having been able to obtain any
better terms, than that they should not be put to the sword, but reserved
to be dealt with according to the King's pleasure (fn. n12). Among the prisoners
taken was the Rev. James Cappock, who had been made Bishop of Carlisle
by Charles Stuart on his first entering the city. (fn. n13)

It is not only on account of the sieges it has sustained, that Carlisle is
noted in history; it has been the scene of many important transactions;
and the residence or occasional resort of many royal and illustrious personages. The visits of William the Conqueror, William Rufus, and Henry I.
have been already mentioned. In 1137 Walter Espec and other English
nobles, repaired to Carlisle to aid David Brus, King of Scotland, against
Malcolm, a traitor (fn. n14). The following year David, attended by the bishops,
priors, and peers of Scotland, received Alberic, the pope's legate, at Carlisle (fn. n15). After the disastrous battle of the Standard, in 1139, David fled
to Carlisle, where he was joined by his son Henry: this city seems to have
been frequently the place of his residence; here it was, that in the year
1150 Prince Henry, son of the Empress Maud, (afterwards King Henry II.)
received the honour of knighthood at his hands, and an alliance was entered
into between those princes and Ralph, Earl of Chester, against Stephen.
David, and his son Prince Henry of Scotland, who died that year, met
John, the pope's legate, here in 1152. David died at Carlisle in 1153.
His succesor William, surnamed the Lion, had an interview with King
Henry II. at this city in 1158, but parted without accommodating the
differences then subsisting between them, in consequence of which the
Scottish King did not receive the honour of knighthood, as had been intended. In the year 1186, King Henry II. was with a great army at
Carlisle; the Scottish King also, and his brother David, appear to have
been there at the same time, they being then on terms of amity with
Henry.

After the battle of Falkirk, in the year 1298, the brave and victorious
Edward I. marched with his army to Carlisle, where a parliament is said
to have been holden on the 15th of September; the same monarch was
at Carlisle again with his army in the year 1300. In 1306 a general
rendezvous of the army destined for the expedition against Scotland,
under Prince Edward, was appointed at Carlisle. His royal father arrived
at this city with his queen and court, on the 28th of August, and remained here till the 10th of September: after a short progress in Northumberland, he was at Carlisle again for a few days in October. The
parliament met at Carlisle on the 20th of January following; but did not
proceed to business till the 25th; the King, who had been detained by
illness all the winter at Lanercost, was not himself present at it before
the 28th of February, but sent his lord treasurer Walter Langton, Bishop
of Lichfield and Coventry, and Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, to act
as his commissioners (fn. n16). This parliament was called together for the purpose of considering the affairs of Scotland, and the exactions made upon
the church by the pope's agents, and ordinances were made against these
exactions, writs were issued also to bring the offenders to justice, but they
were quashed at the intercession of the pope's legate, Peter D'Espagna,
who attended that parliament for the purpose of settling the business of
the marriage between Prince Edward and Isabel of France. The Cardinal
is said to have preached in the cathedral on the subject of peace, and to
have excommunicated Robert Brus (fn. n17). The King celebrated his last birth
day at Carlisle, in June, and appointed a general rendezvous of his army
there on the 8th of July. He himself being in the last stage of decline,
left Carlisle on the 28th of June, and with much difficulty having reached
Burgh on the Sands, died there after a glorious and prosperous reign, on
the 7th of July. An express having been sent to Prince Edward, he arrived
at Carlisle on the 11th; after having been to Burgh to perform his father's
obsequies, he received the fealty and homage of the nobility and prelates
in the castle at Carlisle on the 13th (fn. n18). This prince, who did not inherit
either the courage or success of his father, returned to Scotland, but after
a short stay, having abandoned his father's views with respect to that kingdom, quitted the Scottish borders, and was at Carlisle again in the month
of September following.

Edward Baliol, the fugitive King of Scotland, was hospitably received
at Carlisle by Lord Dacre, then governor, in 1332. King Edward III.
was at Carlisle with his army in 1335. In the year 1537 the Bishop of
Orkney and Bishop Tonstall, met at Carlisle as Commissioners, for settling
a treaty of peace between England and Scotland.

In the year 1568, the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, sought this place
as an asylum from her enemies; but it proved to be the first scene of that
tedious captivity which ended not but with her death. On the 15th of May,
being some days after Mary's escape from Loughlevin, Lord Herries wrote
by her command to Mr. (afterwards Sir Richard Lowther) then deputy of
Carlisle, requiring to know whether if the Queen of Scots, his sovereign,
should be compelled to take refuge in England, she might come safely to
Carlisle. Mr. Lowther answered, that Lord Scrope, the Lord Warden, being
then absent, he had no authority in such a case, pertaining to the state of
a Queen, to assure any thing; but he would send by post to the court to
know the Queen's pleasure; meantime, if any necessity should force the
Queen of Scots to come to Carlisle, he would gladly meet her and receive
her into his rule, and save her from all her enemies, till the Queen's pleasure
should be known. On Sunday, the 16th, before the messenger from Carlisle
could return with Mr. Lowther's answer, the Queen and Lord Herries
embarked with about eighteen or twenty persons in a fishing boat, and arrived
the same day at Workington. At first she endeavoured to conceal her rank,
but certain gentlemen of the county hearing of her landing, and understanding that she was the Queen of Scots, brought her to Cockermouth. There
she remained until Mr. Lowther, who was informed on the Monday night of
her landing, had assembled the gentry of the county to escort her to Carlisle (fn. n19). The Earl of Northumberland, (who was in rebellion the next year
against the Queen,) on hearing from his officers of Mary's arrival at Cockermouth hastened thither, with the intention of getting possession of her person, and followed her to Carlisle; but his attempt was frustrated by the
judicious conduct of Mr. Lowther, who would not suffer him to visit the
fugitive Queen with more than one attendant (fn. n20). The Queen having been
informed, on the 20th, of Mary's arrival, sent express to the Deputy, requiring
him to treat her with all honour and favour, and commanded Lady Scrope,
the Duke of Norfolk's sister, with other ladies and gentlewomen, speedily to
repair to Carlisle, and attend upon her. Lord Scrope and Sir Francis Knolles
(her lord chamberlain) were at the same time ordered to repair to Carlisle,
to watch the motions of the Queen of Scots, and report of her conduct. Mr.
Henry Middlemore was employed also as an agent from the Queen to confer
with Mary concerning her reception, and the crimes laid to her charge.

In a letter to his royal mistress, dated the 29th of May, Sir Francis gives
an account of the first interview which he and Lord Scrope, the Lord Warden,
had with Mary: he describes her chagrin at not being admitted into the
Queen's presence, and recommends to her Majesty's consideration whether
it would not be more honourable in sight of her own subjects and of foreign
princes, to suffer Mary to return to her own country, if such was her choice.
In the event of its being determined to detain her, he observes, "She cannot be kept so rigorously as a prysoner with your hyghnes honor (in myn
opynyon) but that wth devyces of towels or toyes at hyr chamber wyndow
or elsewhere in the nyght, a bodye of hyr agylyty and spyryte may escape
soone beyng so near the border (fn. n21)." It having been determined to make Mary
a prisoner, Sir Francis, though much against his inclination obliged to be
her keeper, appears to have executed his trust with great fidelity. In a
letter, dated June 15, he recommends Naworth Castle as a much safer place
for her detention than Carlisle; he assures the Queen that every precaution
should be taken to prevent her escape, which was possible, considering the small
number of guards he had to look to every place, and that semblance of liberty
which it was thought advisable to allow her. It was for the purpose of giving
such a semblance, as appears by this letter, that she was allowed to attend
divine service at the cathedral church. It does not appear, however, that she
had much indulgence with respect to air or exercise. "Yesterday," says
Sir Francis, in his letter of June 15, "hyr grace went owte at a posterne to
walke on a playing-greene toward Skotland, and we with 24 halberders of
Mastr Read's band wth divers gentlemen and other servants wayted on hyr.
Where aboute 20 of hyr retinue played at footeball before hyr the space of
two howers very stronglye, nymbylly, and skilfullye, without any fowle playe
offerd, the smalness of theyr balls occasyonyng theyr fayr playe. And before
yesterdaye since our comyng she went but twyse owte of the towne, once to
the lyke playe at footeball in the same place, and once roode owte a huntyng
the hare, she galopyng so fast uppon everye occasyon, and hyr hool retinue
beyng so well horsyd, that we uppon experyence theroff, dowtyng that uppon
a sett cowrse some of hyr frendes owt of Skotland myght invade and assaulte
us uppon the sodayne to reskue and take hyr from us, we mean hereafter yff
any sotche rydyng pastymes be reqwyred that waye, so motche to feare the
indangeryng of hyr parson by some sodayne invasyon of hyr enemyes, that
she must hold us excused in that behalfe (fn. n22)."

In answer to inquiries from the Queen and her ministers as to Mary's
character, Sir Francis observes, "This Ladie and Prynces is a notable woman,
she semethe to regard no ceremonious honor beside the acknolegyng of hyr
estate regalle, she shoethe a disposition to speake motche, to be bold, to be
pleasant, and to be very familyare; she shoeth a great desyer to be avenged
of hyr enemyes; she shoeth a rediness to expose hyrselfe to all perylls in
hoope of victorie; she delytethe motche to here of hardines and valiancye,
comendyng by name all approved hardyemen of hyr countrye, althoe they
be hyr enemyes, and she concealeth no cowardnes (fn. n23)."

In answer to inquiries about her attendants, and where they were disposed,
Sir Francis signifies, that the number of her servants was about thirty or
forty, including gentlemen sewers, and waiters, carvers and cup-bearers;
but that not more than three or four of these were lodged in the castle;
that the Lord Claude and the Lord Skarling, and the young Mr. Maxwell,
with divers other gentlemen and their servants, lay in the town at their
own charge, to the number of thirty or forty more, and between her meals
these lords and gentlemen did visit the Queen (fn. n24). Lord Herries came afterwards to Carlisle. In a subsequent letter Sir Francis Knolles says, "as
touchyng ye faulte that is fownd with me for not wrytyng what cumpanye
this Queen hathe abowte her, of all sortes of men, women, and of the degrees
of the parsons aboute hyr, what furniture she hath of anie stuffe of hyr owne
for hyr parson, what horses and sotche lyke; I thought I had wrytten suffycyently in my letter of the second of this monethe," he then adds, that he
had left out the Lord of Leveston among those that were in Carlisle at
their own charges, and also "since the wrytynge of my sayd letter, Mistress Marye Ceaton, beyng the Lord Ceaton's daughter, ys come hether, and
the Master Cookes wyffe, so that nowe here are 6 waityng women, althoe
noone of reputation but Mystres Marye Ceaton, whoe is praysed by this
Queen to be ye fynest busker, that is to saye, the fynest dresser of a woman's
heade and heare, that is to be seen in any contreye, wheroff we have seen
divers experiences since hyr coming hether, and among other pretty devices
yesterday and this daye, she dyd sett sotche a curled heare uppon the Queen,
that was sayd to be a perwyke, that shoed very delicately, and every other
day-lighte she hath a new devyce of head dressyng withowte any coste, and
yet setteth forthe a woman gaylye well. As towchyng hyr graces apparell
besydes divers sutes of black coulor that she hath here, accordyng to hyr
desyre we have agayne sent to Edenborogh to my Lord of Murraye for divers
other sutes of apparyll, and we look tomorowe for retorne of the messenger.
But she semeth to esteme of none other apparyll than of hyr owne (fn. n25)."

In a letter of the 7th of July, Sir Francis says, "My Lord of Murraye hath sent by owne messenger to this Queen three coffers of apparyl,
but because her grace sayth that never a gowne is sent hyr hereby but
one of taffyta, and that the rest is but klookes and coverynges for saddles, and
sleeves and partlets and qwyffes, and sotch lyke trynkets, therefore she hath
sent to my Lord of Murraye agayne for her desyred apparyll remaynyng in
Lochlevin, but she doth offer our messengers nothyng at all for their pains
and charges wherfore hyr hyghnes is lyke to bere the charges thereof also."

It appears that the chamberlain and lord warden had much difficulty
in bringing the Queen of Scots to consent to being removed further inland. In his letter of the 28th of June, he states that she had positively
refused to remove without letters of signet under the Queen's own hand
to them directed. These, he says, he announced to her that night after
supper, told her that the Queen had sent her own litter and horses, and
used every argument to persuade her to remove "with contentation and
good wylle" "we looke not," says he, "to have hyr remove wyth very good
wyll for all this." In his letter of the 14th of July, dated from Lowther,
Sir Francis says, "yesterdaye we removed the Queen hither to Mr. Loders
house, he beyng deputie warden to my Lord Scrope. The cawse whye we
chose thys howse for hyr fyrst remove towards Bolton Castle was, for that
this howse is 20 mylles into the land from Carlysle, and standeth furder
thereby from the reskue of the Skotts, than any other howse that we could
have chosen, and we had none other choyse but a howse of Symon Musgraves,
(that standethe neer to Skotland than Perithe towne) unless we shold have
taken Perythe towne, the which we refused, not only becawse it standeth
4 myles neer Skotland than this house, but also bycawse there is more
shyftes for escape in a towne lodgyng than there is in a gentlemans howse
in the countrye. It chawnced Mr. Loder hymselfe so to come home that
he mett wth the Queen five myles before she came to his howse; who declared in messuage to this Queen from hyr Hyghnes, that hyr Matie had
prepared not only Bolton Castle, for hyr remove, but also 3 or 4 other
howses; surely if I shold declare the difficulties that we have passed before
we cowld get hyr to remove, in stede of a letter I shold wryte a storye, and
that sumwhat tragicall; but this I must saye for hyr, that after she dyd
see that nether hyr stowte thretenynge nor hyr exclamations, nor her lamentations cowlde dissuade us from our preparation and constant seming
to have awthoritie and determynacyon to remove hyr (althoe we never sayd
expressly that we had awthoritie to remove hyr nolens volens); then lyke a
very wyse woman she sowght to understand whether yf she dyd remove
she myght send some of hyr noblemen into Skotland to confer with her
partie there, &c." (fn. n26)

Carlisle Castle is pleasantly situated at the north-west corner of the
ancient walls of the city, on a steep bank, overlooking the Eden. The
tower commands a rich and extensive prospect. This castle was probably
the residence of the several royal personages, whose visits to Carlisle have
been already spoken of. It was built, or rather begun to be built, as before
stated, in the reign of William Rufus; in the reign of Henry III. it was
in a very dilapidated state, in consequence of the damage done to it when
besieged by Alexander, the Scottish King, in 1216, and which had not
been repaired in the year 1256, as appears by the return to a commission
of inquiry, directed to Sir Thomas de Lascelles and others (fn. n27). In this return
the queen's chamber, Maunsell's turrett, the turrett of William de Ireby,
the chapel, great hall, kitchen, and other offices, are represented as in a
state of great decay. Having been in the mean time the object of frequent
attack, when an estimate of its repairs was made in the year 1344, the
expence of repairing the stone work was stated at 200l.; the wood work in
the great tower, the great hall, and other buildings, at 100 marks; the
repairs of the stone work of the walls, turrets, kernels, and gates, was estimated at 200l. the wood work at 100l. (fn. n28) In the reign of Queen Elizabeth
the castle appears to have been in a very ruinous condition. It is stated
in a survey, made in consequence of a commission of inquiry in 1563, that
the dungeon tower, (which should be the principal defence of the castle)
was in a state of great decay; and although the walls were twelve feet
thick, was in daily danger of falling; that there was a breach in the outer
ward (made by a fall of the wall in 1557) sixty-nine feet and a half in
length, which wall had been nine feet thick and eighteen in height; the
captain's tower also, and the gates, were much decayed. The great chamber
and hall are spoken of in this survey. Upon this report the castle was ordered
to be put in a state of repair. It appears that it was of sufficient strength
in the middle of the following century to stand a siege of several months.

Among the governors of Carlisle in the reigns of Henry III. and the
three Edwards, we find John Baliol and Robert Bruce, the younger, both
afterwards Kings of Scotland, William de Fortibus, Earl of Albemarle, Peter
de Gaveston, the favourite of King Edward II. Andrew de Hercla, Earl of
Carlisle, and John Halton and John Kirkby, successively Bishops of Carlisle (fn. n29).
A small garrison is still kept in the castle; the present governor is Major
General R. Burne.

The castle is the site of the ancient royal manor of the socage of Carlisle,
partly within the city, and extending over 500 acres of land in its immediate
vicinity. This manor was demised by Queen Elizabeth, at the beginning of
her reign, to Henry Lord Scrope, Lord Warden of the Marches; and after
his death to George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland. The lease was subsequently
vested for several generations in the noble family of Howard, Earl of Carlisle,
but the Duke of Portland having succeeded in his claim to this manor under
King William's grant, as parcel of the forest of Inglewood, it was included in
the late Duke of Devonshire's purchase in 1787, and is now the property of the
present duke. During the interregnum the inheritance of this manor was
sold to Mr. Craister of Carlisle, but of course it was resumed by the crown
at the restoration.

Capgrave says, that St. Cuthbert founded a nunnery at Carlisle, and
placed an abbess in it, when he visited that city; but this is erroneous,
for it appears by Bede's Life of Cuthbert, that the nunnery was of older
date; that author, who was his contemporary, relates, that the object of
his journey was to obtain an audience of Queen Ermengard, (wife of Egfrid
King of Northumberland,) who was then on a visit to her sister, the abbess
of that house. We have no other record or memorial of this nunnery, which
was destroyed by the Danes, and very slender notices of a nunnery said to
have been founded by David, King of Scotland (fn. n30), and of the convents of
black and grey friers; both these were established in the year 1233, as
appears from the chronicle of Lanercost. The black friers took up their
abode without the walls, the grey friers within the walls of the city. It
appears by an ancient bird's eye view of Carlisle in the British Museum (fn. n31),
that they were afterwards both within the walls; the black friers was on
the south side of the citadel, between the English gate and St. Cuthbert's
church. The county goal was part of the conventual buildings. The
grey friers stood on the east side of English Street.

In the reign of William Rufus, Walter, a Norman priest, began a monastery at Carlisle: it was completed and endowed in 1101 by King Henry I.
who placed in it regular canons of the order of St. Augustine, and made his
confessor, Adeluph or Athelwald, the first prior. The same monarch (in
1133) founded the bishopric of Carlisle, and made Athelwald bishop. From
its foundation to the present time, there have been 54 bishops of this see,
among whom may be particularized as distinguished characters, John Kirkby,
the martial prelate already spoken of; Roger Whelpdale, a learned writer on
logic, mathematics, and divinity; John Kyte, much employed in embassies
by King Henry VII. and Henry VIII.; Archbishop Usher; Dr. William
Nicolson, author of the Historical Library; Dr. Edmund Law; and Dr. John
Douglas. The present bishop, Dr. Goodenough, one of the vice-presidents
of the Royal and Linnean Societies, succeeded Dr. Vernon, now Archbishop
of York, in 1807.

Linstock Castle, in the parish of Stanwix, was for many years the only
residence of the Bishops of Carlisle. The manor of Dalston, to which RoseCastle is appertinent, was not granted to the see till the year 1229. It does
not appear that they ever had a palace at Carlisle, although Bishop Halton,
in the parliament holden at Carlisle, petitioned for a waste piece of ground,
without the precincts of the castle, but within the city-walls, on which to
build a house for himself and his successors. (fn. n32)

The priory was resigned into the hands of King Henry VIII. on the 9th
of January 1540, by Launcelot Salkeld, the last prior, who, upon the establishment of the present chapter, in 1542, was appointed dean. The greater
part of the lands and revenues of the priory, which had been valued at
418l. 3s. 4¾d. clear yearly income, was granted to the dean and chapter,
together with the endowments of the dissolved priory of Wetheral. The
establishment of the church of Carlisle under King Henry's charter, consists of a dean, four prebendaries, eight minor canons, a grammar-master,
singing-men, &c. &c. The advowson of the prebends was given to the
Bishop by Philip and Mary, in the year 1557. Sir Thomas Smith, Queen
Elizabeth's secretary, was the second dean. Among the more eminent
persons who have since filled that situation may be enumerated, Bishop
Atterbury; Bishop Smallridge; Dr. Bolton, author of a popular essay on the
Employment of Time, and other works of a similar nature; and Dr. Percy,
the late Bishop of Dromore. The present dean is the Rev. Isaac Milner,
D.D. who succeeded the Rev. Dr. Jeffery Ekins, the translator of Apollonius Rhodius, in 1792. The deanery formed part of the monastic buildings:
the cloisters, except a very small part now remaining, were destroyed in
Cromwell's time. The refectory of the convent, called the fratry, is now
made use of as the chapter-house.

It is probable that the cathedral was begun before the foundation of the
bishopric, being intended as the conventual church. A church is mentioned
by some writers among the buildings of William Rufus. That part of the
structure which has withstood the devastation of fire and spoilers, exhibits
the Saxon style of architecture. It appears that the cathedral church was
destroyed by fire in 1292. We do not find any authority for its having been
involved in the conflagration of 1390. The choir is said to have been rebuilt
by contribution in the reign of Edward III. and the tower by Bishop Strickland in 1401. The greater part of the nave of the cathedral, and most of
the conventual buildings, were taken down during the Interregnum, and the
materials used for repairing the walls and citadels. The remainder of the
nave was walled up at the west end, and is now used as the parish church of
St. Mary. The architecture of the cathedral, and the legendary paintings
and inscriptions in the aisles, have been already spoken of.

The bowels of Richard Cœur de Lion are said to have been buried at
Carlisle. Among the unknown ancient tombs in the cathedral are two
which are supposed to be those of Bishop Welton, who died in 1362, and
his successor, Bishop Appleby, who died in 1395. In the north aisle is the
tomb of Bishop Strickland, who died in 1419. In the choir are the gravestones of Bishop Bell (with his effigies on a brass plate, as hath been already
described), and Bishop Smith, who died in 1702. Against one of the pillars
on the north side of the choir, is a monument of white marble, by Banks, in
memory of Bishop Law (fn. n33), who died in 1787. At the east end of the cathedral
are monuments in memory of Sir George Fleming, Bart. Bishop of Carlisle,
who died in 1747, aged 81; his son William Fleming, LL.D. archdeacon of
the diocese (1742); Mildred his daughter, wife of Edward Stanley, Esq. of
Ponsonby, (1789); Gustavus Thompson, Esq. of Arcleby Hall, 1756; John
Thomlinson, Esq. 1765; John Johnson, Esq. of Walton-House, 1800; and
Cromwell Ward, Esq. deputy-governor of Carlisle (without date). Hutchinson mentions a brass plate for Bishop Robinson, who died in 1616, having
been found in making some repairs behind the hangings at the high altar.

In St. Catherine's chapel, is the tomb of Bishop Barrow, without any
inscription. In the south aisle is the monument of Dean Wilson, who died
in 1778; and on the floor, the gravestone of Jane, wife of Dr. William Paley,
Archdeacon of Carlisle, who died in 1791. This distinguished and popular
Theologian, whose works are too well known to need enumeration here, was
himself buried in the cathedral in 1805; but there is no inscription to
his memory. He was several years archdeacon, and one of the prebendaries
of this church, and at the time of his decease, enjoyed the subdeanery of
Lincoln, a prebend of St. Paul's cathedral, and the valuable living of
Bishop's-Wearmouth, severally given to him by Dr. Prettyman, Bishop of
Lincoln, Dr. Porteus, Bishop of London, and Dr. Barrington, Bishop of Durham, in consideration of the great and deserved reputation of his theological
writings. Bishop Vernon, his own diocesan, who had been the first patron
of his distinguished merit, continued to show his friendship, and the high
sense he entertained of his deserts by facilitating the arrangements for his
subsequent promotions. Dr. Paley during his residence at Carlisle, published
his Moral and Political Philosophy, his Horæ Paulinæ, Reasons for Contentment; View of the Evidences of Christianity, and Occasional Sermons.

The citizens of Carlisle in the year 1193, gave 10 marks for their liberties
and privileges (fn. n34). It appears that they held the city in fee farm, in the year
1201 (fn. n35); in 1231 they obtained a confirmation of former grants (fn. n36). In 1292,
they gave 10 marks for the privilege of having coroners of their own (fn. n37). In
the reign of Edward I., the citizens pleaded to a quo warranto, that they
were entitled to murage for all goods exposed to sale in the town; a free guild,
a market and fair, &c. They claimed the free guild under Richard the
First's charter, and pleaded that the town had been originally demised to
them in farm by King Henry I., but not being able to make good their
claims in consequence of the records of the town having been destroyed by
fire, they were not allowed. The fire here alluded to, was a dreadful conflagration which had then recently happened, on the 19th of May 1292. The
whole city appears to have been consumed, with the priory, the convent of
Grey Friers, and their churches; the convent of Black Friers, being near the
eastern wall, alone escaped. This dreadful conflagration is said to have been
occasioned by an incendiary, who, from motives of resentment, set fire to
his father's house, and was executed for the fact (fn. n38). The King, in consideration of this calamity, remitted the citizens a moiety of their fee farm
rent, due the preceding year, and restored to them the city which had been
taken into the King's hands by the justices of assize, by reason of the
charters having been consumed as before mentioned, by the flames (fn. n39).

In the year 1352, King Edward III. in consideration of the importance of
Carlisle as a frontier town, and the calamities the citizens had suffered by the
plague, and by the assaults of besieging armies, granted them an ample confirmation of all the privileges they had before enjoyed by prescription; markets
on Wednesdays and Saturdays; a fair for 16 days, to commence on the assumption of the Virgin Mary; the election of a Mayor, bailiffs, and coroners;
assize of bread, &c.; pleas of the crown; trial of felons (fn. n40); goods of felons
and fugitives; the place called Battle-Holme, for holding their markets and
fairs; the city mill, the King's fishery in the river Eden, &c. &c. King
Charles I., in the year 1637, confirmed all the former charters, and incorporated the citizens. The corporation consists of 12 aldermen, one of whom
is annually elected mayor, two bailiffs or sheriffs, two coroners, and 24 common-council-men, with power to elect a recorder and town clerk.

There are eight fraternities or companies in this city, each of which has
a hall, or rather, room, for they are all under one roof, in Fisher-Street.
They hold a general meeting once a year, on Ascension day.

This city has sent two members to parliament ever since the reign of
Edward I. The members are elected by the free burgesses, about 750 in
number. (fn. n41)

The markets at Carlisle are still held on Wednesday and Saturday, and
abundantly supplied with corn, cattle, and provisions of all sorts. The
principal market day is Saturday (fn. n42). There was formerly a horse fair,
the first Monday in June, for three days (fn. n43), which has been many years discontinued; there is a considerable cattle fair on the 26th of August; but the
principal fair both for horses and cattle, is on the 19th of September.
During these fairs, all persons are free from arrest in the city. A series of
fairs or great markets for horses and cattle, commences on the Saturday after
Oct. 10, and continues till Christmas.

In the reign of Henry VI. in consequence, as it appears, of the assizes
having been removed to other places, by occasion of the wars with Scotland,
an act of parliament passed, by which it was ordained, that in time of peace
or truce the assizes for the county should be holden at Carlisle, as had of old
been accustomed, and not elsewhere.

In the year 1810, in pursuance of an act of parliament obtained three
years before, for the purpose of "enabling His Majesty to grant the citadel
and walls of the city of Carlisle, &c. to the justices of the peace for the
county of Cumberland, for building courts of justice for the said county,"
&c. the courts were begun to be built, in the Gothic style, from designs
of Robert Smirke, Esq. Jun. R. A., and under his direction, within the
walls of the ancient citadel, which consisted of two very large low round
towers, flanking the English gate, and is said to have been erected in the
reign of King Henry the Eighth. The courts were so far completed, as to
be made use of for the assizes in the summer of the following year. A new
county-gaol is about to be erected, under the same act of parliament, on the
site of the Black Friers, adjoining the English gate.

Carlisle races, held in the month of October, on the Swift, are well frequented by the principal families of the county; they first commenced about
the middle of the last century: the first King's plate was given in 1763. (fn. n44)

Our evidence respecting the population of Carlisle in the fourteenth century appears rather contradictory. We find, from the subsidy-roll of Edward III., that there were then 678 lay persons in Carlisle upwards of fourteen years of age, besides paupers. This was soon after a very destructive
pestilence. Nevertheless, in the year 1390, though a second pestilence had
in the mean time occurred, Carlisle, if we may judge from the number of
its houses, appears to have been even more populous than it now is (fn. n45); for it
is on record, that by a fire which had then recently happened, 1,500 houses
were consumed in three of the principal streets, Castle-gate, Richard-gate,
and Botchard-gate. (fn. n46)

We are told, that in the years 1597 and 1598 about 1,196 persons died of
the plague at Carlisle, being a third of the whole number of inhabitants (fn. n47),
which will give a total of about 6,000. Mr. Denton computes the number
at 5,060 in 1688 (fn. n48). Browne Willis states them to have been about 2,000
only in 1716. The manufactures began to increase considerably about 1760.
In 1763 the inhabitants were numbered, at the request of Bishop Lyttelton,
and found to be 4,158. In 1780 they were again numbered, under the
inspection of Dr. Heysham, and found to have increased to 7,677.
According to the returns made to parliament in 1801 and 1811, the
city and suburbs of Carlisle contained, at the former period, 1,338 houses (fn. n49)
and 10,221 inhabitants; and at the latter, 1,709 houses (fn. n50) and 12,531 inhabitants.

Fuller mentions a manufacture of fustians established at Carlisle just
before the Restoration, and expresses his wish that the undertakers might
not be disheartened by their small encouragement. Carlisle first began to be
of some importance as a manufacturing town about the year 1745 (fn. n51), when a
large woollen manufactory was set up by some Hamburgh merchants, but
after a few years it was discontinued. About 1750 a manufactory of coarse
linen, and a new woollen manufactory, were set up. Soon after this,
the cotton manufactory was introduced, and both that and the linen manufactory rapidly increased. Calico-printing was introduced about 1761. The
principal articles of manufacture about that period were linen, checks, calicoes, and fustians.

A great change in the trade of Carlisle has taken place within the last
fifteen years; it now consists almost entirely of the manufacture of cotton
goods upon a very extensive scale. About 1,200 looms are employed in this
manufacture in the town, and a still greater number in the neighbouring
towns and villages. The principal articles made are ginghams for the West
India market. The spinning of cotton is carried on also to a considerable
extent; there being eleven cotton-mills in the town and immediate vicinity,
containing about 80,000 spindles. There are three print-works, where the
printing of cotton is carried on very extensively, and various other concerns
connected with the cotton trade, such as dying, bleaching, &c. A small
mill for weaving calicoes, a manufactory of carpets, and three iron founderies,
have been lately established; and there are four public breweries.

It appears that there was a mint at Carlisle in the twelfth century, which
seems to have been supplied with silver from mines in the county. (fn. n52)

The two bridges over the Eden at Carlisle, called Eden Bridge and Prestbeck Bridge, were of wood in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; when one of
them having fallen down, and the other being in a state of great decay, an
act of parliament passed for rebuilding them at the expence of the county in
1600, (43 Eliz.) It is probable that they were then first constructed of
stone.

The above-mentioned act of parliament, passed in 1807, having empowered
the county to rebuild Prestbeck Bridge; a new bridge was begun in the
autumn of the year 1812, from the designs and under the direction of Robert
Smirke, Esq. junr, R. A. and is now (1815) nearly completed: it is built
of white freestone from the neighbourhood of Gretna, in Scotland; and
consists of five elliptical arches, each sixty-five feet in diameter. Government advanced the sum of 10,000l. towards the building of this bridge, on
account of its being in the direction of the intended new northern road to
Port Patrick. Eden Bridge is to be removed, and a raised and partly arched
causeway to be formed, connecting the town with the new bridge.

Carlisle is divided into two parishes, St. Mary's and St. Cuthbert's. The
parish of St. Mary comprises the most populous part of the city; the townships of Caldewgate and Richardgate, or Richergate, in the suburbs; the
township of Cumbersdale or Comersdale, about two miles south-west of the
city; the chapelry of Wreay, and the distant and detached townships or
hamlets of Middlesceugh and Braithwaite, not far from Hutton, in the
forest of Inglewood, and in Leath ward. The commons of these townships
have been inclosed under the act of 1803, for inclosing the forest of Inglewood. The manor of Middlesceugh belongs to Sir Frederic Fletcher Vane,
Bart.; that of Braithwaite to Henry Brougham, Esq. The dean and
chapter's manor of John le Chapple, or de Capella, extends over the greater
part of this parish. Hutchinson, quoting from Milbourn's additions to John
Denton's MS. gives an account of the manor of Caldcoates, alias Harrington
House, afterwards called Coldale Hall, which belonged successively to the
families of Canterelle, Semen, Coldale, Briscoe, Sibson, Dacre, and Forster.
The Coldale-Hall estate, in Caldecote, held under the dean and chapter's
manor of John le Chapple, now belongs to Henry Fawcett, Esq. M. P. for
Carlisle.

The manors of Caldcoates or Calcottys, Newbiggin, New-Laithes,
and Botchard-gate, were granted by Henry VIII. to the dean and chapter,
among others, as parcel of the possessions of the suppressed priory. The
three former seem to have merged into what is now called the manor of John
le Chappie, or de Capella, so called probably from John de Capella, the
founder of a chantry in the cathedral church. This name does not appear
in the grant, but in some old court-rolls it is called the manor of John de
Chapple alias Caldcoats. Newbiggin and New-Laithes are now called Granges.

The Socage manor of Carlisle, as before mentioned, extends over part of
this parish. The bishop's manor of Low-Dalston extends into this parish;
within which also was formerly a manor of Shaddon-gate, given by King
Henry I. to one Morvin, whose son Harvey, gave it in marriage with
his daughter, to Gwercius Flandrensis; it was afterwards in the Dentons.
The demesne, called Denton's Holme, was sold by George Denton, Esq.
of Cardew, towards the latter end of the seventeenth century, to Mr. Norman, and it is now the property of Mr. —— Dixon; the tenements held
under this manor were about the same time enfranchised (fn. n53). Most of the
lands at Shaddon-gate are now held under the bishop's manor of LowDalston, or the dean and chapter's manor of John Le Chapple.

The parish church of St. Mary, is as already stated, within what remains
of the nave of the cathedral; the benefice is a perpetual curacy, in the gift
of the dean and chapter, to whom the great tithes are appropriated.

There was formerly a free chapel in Carlisle within this parish, with a
cemetery, dedicated to St. Alban; in 1356 all persons were forbidden to
officiate in it, because it had not been consecrated; it is probable that it
afterwards received consecration, for we find that it continued till the reformation, and was suppressed with other chantries and free chapels in the reign
of Edward VI.; it was then granted to Thomas Dalston, Esq. and William
Denton. The site, which was near the town hall, is now divided into
several tenements, held under the dean and chapter.

In the parish of St. Mary are meeting-houses for the Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, Quakers, and Methodists, and a Roman Catholic chapel.
Robert Milne, many years pastor of one of the Presbyterian congregations, who
died at an advanced age in the year 1800, was author of Physico-Theological
Lectures, &c. The Quakers have had a congregation here almost from the
time of their first establishment: George Fox, their founder, was imprisoned
in the dungeon at Carlisle, and suffered great hardships there in 1653.

The grammar school, in this parish, was founded by King Henry VIII.
being coeval with the establishment of the dean and chapter; the endowment is now 190l. per annum, of which the dean and chapter, who are
patrons, pay 20l., and the corporation of Carlisle 20l.; the remainder arises
from the produce of an estate in the parish of Addingham, purchased with
the sum of 500l. given by Dr. Smith, Bishop of Carlisle, who died in 1702.
It is expected that the value of this estate will be considerably increased,
in consequence of an inclosure which is about to take place.

The girls charity school, founded in 1717, was at first supported by
subscription; Mr. Nicholas Robinson in 1719, gave the sum of 40l. to this
school, Mr. Samuel How in 1722, the sum of 320l.; with these sums, lands
were purchased, now let at 32l. per annum. The dean and chapter give 5l.
per annum to this school, and the corporation 2l.; with these funds twentyone girls are clothed and educated.

The chapelry of Wrea or Wreay (fn. n54), in this parish, comprises the villages of
Wreay and Newbiggin; the chapel of Wreay existed at least as early as
the reign of Edward II.; it had no other endowment than the interest
of a chapel stock of 200l. till augmented, in 1737, by Queen Anne's bounty (fn. n55).
The present chapel was consecrated in 1739, when the nomination of the
minister was reserved to the dean and chapter. The school here has an
endowment of about 16l. per annum (fn. n56): a school-house was built about the
year 1760, before which time the chapel was used for that purpose. Woodside, in this chapelry, the seat of the late John Losh, Esq. has been for several
generations in that family; it is now vested in his executors.

Newbiggin, formerly a manor belonging to the priory, has now merged
into one of the other manors of the dean and chapter, the demesne was after
the reformation divided into two estates, which are held on lease under the
church. The hall was probably an occasional residence of the prior, who
built there a tower of defence against the inroads of the Scots (fn. n57). The
walls of this mansion are nearly eight feet thick, and the whole of the first
floor has a plain vaulted roof (fn. n58). In 1688, Newbiggin hall, and a moiety of
the demesne, were on lease to William Graham, Esq. from whose family the
lease passed by purchase to the Lowthians. This estate is now in the occupation, and the hall the residence of the Rev. S. Bateman, who married one
of the coheiresses of Christopher Aglionby, Esq. Mrs. Bateman's interest
in it, is under the will of her aunt, the late Mrs. Lowthian.

The parish of St. Cuthbert comprises the district about English Street,
the suburb called Botchard-gate, and the townships of High-Blackhall, or
Blackwell, Low-Blackwell, Carleton, Harraby, and Uprightby, or Upperby.
The six last, not included in the population of Carlisle, contain collectively
156 houses, and 855 inhabitants.

The manor of Botchard-gate, formerly belonging to the priory, and now
to the dean and chapter, extends over the greater part of this parish; this
township and the hamlet of Botchardby are said to have taken their name
from one Botchard, a Fleming, who possessed, as Mr. Denton relates, a
manor here, which passed in marriage with his daughter Isolda, to Guy
the Forester. King Henry I. confirmed it to the latter, to be held by the
sum of 6s. 2d. cornage money. The posterity of Guy took the name of
Botchardby, and after four or five generations the family ended in females;
after this it seems to have been in severalties; the whole or a part became
the property of the Parvings, passed to the Stapletons, and by descent to
the Musgraves; a younger branch of the Musgraves had a freehold estate
at Botchardby in 1688. (fn. n59)

In the suburbs of the city, at the south end of Botchard-gate, was a
hospital for twelve poor men and a master, dedicated to St. Nicholas, said
to have been of royal foundation. A moiety of the tithes of Little-Bampton,
was given to this hospital before the year 1180, on condition that two of
the almsmen should always be of the parish of Bampton. This hospital was
burnt and totally destroyed when the Earl of Buchan besieged Carlisle in 1296,
and experienced a similar fate in a subsequent siege (fn. n60). In the year 1477, the
hospital of St. Nicholas, with its lands, was granted to the prior and convent of
Carlisle, and with other possessions of that priory, passed to the dean and
chapter at the reformation; among the payments charged on the dean and
chapter by King Henry's grant are 2l. 6s. 8d. to the chaplain of St. Nicholas's
Hospital, and 5l. 17s. to three poor bedesmen there. The ordinances and
statutes of the hospital of St. Nicholas are exemplified on the Patent Roll of
the 15th of Edward III. On the site of this hospital is now a private dwelling
house, the property and residence of Mr. Joseph Studholme. There are
three almsmen, called St. Nicholas Almsmen, who receive 40s, per annum
each from the dean and chapter; six other almsmen belonging to the
cathedral establishment, have 5l. per annum each.

Harraby-grange, in this parish, formerly called the manor of Henderbye,
belonged to the prior and convent of Carlisle, now to the dean and chapter.

The manor of Blackhall, anciently parcel of the forest of Inglewood,
was given by King Henry I. to Odard de Logis, Baron of Wigton; Margaret de Wigton, heiress of this baronial house, in the reign of Edward III.
gave this manor to Sir Robert Parvinge, the King's serjeant at law, for
his care and pains in managing her cause, her title to the barony having
been impugned by the heir at law, Sir Robert de Kirkbride, on the ground
of her mother's incontinency. Sir Robert Parvinge, who by rapid strides
attained the situation of lord chancellor and lord high treasurer, had a
licence to inclose his woods at this place in 1339 (fn. n61). His representatives sold
Blackhall to Sir William Stapleton, of whom it was purchased by Lord
Dacre. In 1716 the coheiresses of Thomas Earl of Sussex, conveyed this
estate to Sir Christopher Musgrave, ancestor of Sir Philip Musgrave, Bart.
the present proprietor. Thomas Lowry, Esq. who died in 1779, left the
interest of 100l. to the schoolmaster of this township, and 100l. to poor
widows.

The parish church of St. Cuthbert was rebuilt the beginning of the
seventeenth century; it contains no monuments of note. The Rev. Joseph
Dacre Carlyle, chancellor of the diocese, and professor of Arabic in the
university of Cambridge, who died in 1804, aged 45, lies buried at St. Cuthbert. This gentleman having previously made oriental literature his particular study, accompanied the Earl of Elgin to Constantinople, and at his
return published specimens of Arabic poetry, and other translations from
that language. He was at the time of his death engaged in the publication
of an Arabic bible, and left behind him in MS. a dissertation on the Troas,
and a Journal of his Travels.

Footnotes

n1. Fordun and Hector Boethius. The authorities in general will not be quoted in this brief
historical account of Carlisle, as they will be found in the former part of the volume.

n2. Bede's Life of St. Cuthbert. This writer, who was contemporary with Cuthbert, calls the
city Luguballia; other ancient writers call it Luguballia, otherwise, or now, Carleyl.

n3. Some of the Scottish writers affirm, that Gregory held an assembly of his nobles at Carlisle
in 880; if this be true, Carlisle could not have been destroyed when Halfdenthe Dane over-ran
the kingdom of Northumberland in 875, but it must have been in some subsequent invasion.

n4. The following particular account of this siege, translated from the Chronicle of Lanercost,
in the British Museum, affords a curious specimen of the manner in which sieges of fortified
towns were at that time conducted.
"A. D. 1315. Shortly afterwards also in the same year, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalen,
came the King of Scotland towards Carlisle, having assembled all his forces, and surrounding the city for ten days, he besieged it, treading down all the corn, and wasting the suburbs
and every thing round about, and burning the whole country; and carrying off with his army
a very great booty of cattle from Allerdale, Copeland, and Westmorland. Moreover, on every
day of the siege, they made an attack on some one of the three gates of the city, and sometimes on all three together; but not with impunity, for darts, arrows, and stones, as well then
as at other times, were cast down upon them from the walls in so great abundance, that they
questioned among themselves, whether the stones did not increase and multiply within the walls.
But on the fifth day of the siege, they erected an engine for casting stones near the church of
the Holy Trinity, where their King had placed himself, and continually threw great stones
towards the Caldew gate, and at the wall, but did no injury, or but little to those within, except
that they killed one man. There were, indeed, within the city, seven or eight similar engines,
with other warlike instruments, called Springaldes, for throwing long darts; and slings in sticks
for casting stones which greatly terrified and annoyed those who were without the city. In the
meanwhile, the Scots erected a great berefray, in the manner of a tower, the height of which
considerably exceeded that of the walls; which being observed, the carpenters of the city
erected a wooden tower, which exceeded the height of the other, upon one of the towers of the
wall, towards which that engine must have come, if it had approached the wall; but it never
drew near to the wall, for when it was drawn upon wheels over moist and clayey ground;
there it stuck by reason of its weight, nor could it be drawn any further or occasion any
inconvenience.
"But the Scots applied many long ladders which they had brought with them, for the purpose
of ascending the wall in the same manner in different places, and a sow for undermining the
wall of the city, if they found it practicable; but neither the sow nor the ladders availed them any
thing. They also made bundles of straw and grass in great abundance, to fill up the moat without
the wall, on the east side, in order to pass over it dry; they also made long wooden bridges
running on wheels, that being drawn forcibly and rapidly with cords, they might be carried
across the ditch: but neither would the bundles, during the whole stay of the Scots there, fill
up the moat, nor those bridges pass the ditch, but fell by their weight to the bottom.
"On the ninth day of the siege, when all the engines were ready, they made a general assault
on all the gates of the town, and attacked valiantly throughout the whole circuit of the wall,
and the citizens defended themselves as valiantly; and in the like manner, on the following day.
Moreover the Scots employed a stratagem similar to that by which they took the castle of
Edinburgh; they caused the greater part of their army to make an assault on the
eastern part of the city, against the place of the friers minors, that they might draw thither
the party within; but the Lord James Douglas, a valiant and wary soldier, with certain of the
more bold and alert of the army, posted themselves on the western side, over against the place
of the canons and preaching friers, where, on account of the height [of the walls] and difficulty,
an attack was not apprehended, and there erected long ladders which they ascended, and they
had archers in great numbers, who discharged their arrows thickly, lest any one should raise his
head above the wall: but, blessed be the Lord, they found such a resistance there, that they were
thrown to the ground with their ladders, and there and elsewhere about the walls, some were
taken, some slayn, and others wounded. Yet no Englishman was killed during the whole siege,
except one man struck with an arrow, and the one above mentioned, but a few were wounded.
Thereupon, on the eleventh day, that is to say, on the feast of St. Peter ad vincula, the Scots,
either because they heard of the approach of the English to raise the siege, or because they
despaired of making any further progress, early in the morning returned into their own land in
confusion; leaving behind them all their warlike engines above mentioned. Certain English
pursuing them, took John de Moray, who in the before-mentioned battle at Strivelin, had for his
share 23 English knights besides esquires, and others of lower rank, and received a great sum
for their ransom: they took also with the aforesaid John, the Lord Robert Bardolf, a man certainly of the very worst disposition towards the English, and brought them both to the castle of
Carlisle."

n5. Lord Lucy, who had the charge of arresting him, entered the castle with Sir Hugh Lowther,
Sir Richard Denton, Sir Hugh Moriceby, and three esquires, with some servants, who waited
below, privately armed. The Earl, who was unarmed, dictating letters in the great hall, immediately surrendered himself; some of his servants cried treason; and the porter making an
attempt to close the inner gate, was killed by Sir Richard Denton. The Earl's retainers made
no further resistance. Chron. Lanercost.

n10. Among the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum is a very minute journal of the siege by
Isaac Tullie, who was in the town the whole time. From this journal we are enabled to give
the following particulars. The besieging army consisted of 4,000 horse and foot; the garrison
with the townsmen in arms, of about 700. The principal works round the town were, General
Lesley's at Newtown, Lord Kirkcudbright's at Stanwix, Colonel Lawson's over the bridge to the
north-east, and Colonel Cholmley's at Harraby. Lesley's head-quarters were at Dalston-hall.
The walls were never assaulted during the siege. There were no sallies of any consequence;
the chief warfare consisted of skirmishes between the foraging parties, and the parties who
guarded the cattle, with the besiegers; and numerous gallant exploits on these occasions are
recorded. The foraging parties were frequently successful in bringing in cattle till the end of
April, but very insufficient to the wants of the garrison. The cattle were grazed in various
places near the city—Wearyholme, Dentonholme, the Swift, &c., and this till near the end of
the siege. At Christmas all the corn was taken from the citizens, and a ration distributed weekly
to each family, according to their numbers. The cattle were seized also, and distributed in like
manner; no more being given to the owner than any other, except the head, heart, and liver.
About the end of February they began to be on short allowance — half a hoop of corn being
given to a head. There were then only 2,100 bushels in the granary. Fuel grew very scarce.
The blockade appears not to have been at this time very strict, for the writer of the journal
mentions Sir Thomas Glenham's going a coursing to Botchardby, with several gentlemen and
gentlewomen. April 3. They had only thatch for the horses, all other provisions being exhausted. May 10. A fat horse taken from the enemy sold for 10s. a quarter. May 23. Provision
almost spent. May 30. News that the King was come into Westmorland. The garrison that
day ate three days' provision, and repented with a cup of cold water for three days after. At
this time the shillings and three shilling pieces were coined out of the citizens' plate. June 5.
Hempseed, dogs, and rats were eaten. "The citizens so shrunk that they could not choose but
laugh one at another to see their clothes hang on them as upon men on gibbets, for one might
put one's head and fists between the doublets and shirts of many of them." June 17. Some
officers and soldiers came to the common bakehouse, and took away all the horseflesh from the
poor people, who were as near starving as themselves. June 22. The garrison had only half a
pound of horseflesh each for four days. June 23. The townsmen petitioned Sir Thomas Glenham that the horseflesh might not be taken away, and said they were not able to endure the
famine any longer; several women met at the cross, abusing Sir Henry Stradling, the governor,
who threatening to fire on them, they begged it as a mercy, when he went away with tears in
his eyes, but said he could not mend their commons. The surrender was on the 25th. A
curious feint was practised, to impress the besiegers with the idea, that reports of the
distress of the garrison were untrue, a few days before the surrender. An officer, sent in by
General Lesley, two days following, was sent back in a state of intoxication, from the contents
of the only barrel of ale, which had been in the garrison for several months, and which had
been brewed and preserved for some such purpose, by Dr. Burwell, the Chancellor, with the
privity of the governor. A garrison of Scots was put in after the surrender, and the articles,
says the writer of the journal, were strictly observed. Harl. MSS. 6798.

n17. "After the sermon," says Holinshed, (who quotes Trivet) "he revested himself and the
other bishops, which were present, and then with candles light, and causing the bells to be
roong, they accursed in terrible wise Robert Bruce, the usurper of the crown of Scotland, with
his partakers." Pope Clement V. at the request of King Edward, had given a commission to
the Archbishopsof York and the Bishops of Carlisle, to excommunicate Robert Bruce. Prynne,
Vol. III. p. 1122.

n29. Whilst Bishop Kirkby was governor of Carlisle, an affray happened between his garrison
and the citizens, in which several of the latter were killed and wounded. In consequence of
this, the bishop, in consideration of his good services, procured a pardon for himself and his
men for all manslaughters, felonies, and other offences committed during that affray. Pat. Rot.
20 Edw. III. m. 7.

n39. See Rot. Cl. Rot. 21 Edw. I. It appears, that during the fire, two thieves, one of whom had
taken sanctuary in the cathedral church; the other in that of the Grey Friers, escaped. The
citizens were in consequence fined 16l. in the exchequer. The King pardoned them, on condition that they should recognize that they were bound to the safe custody of felons flying for
sanctuary to churches within their cities.

n40. The city gaol, which stood near the Scotch gate, has lately been taken down; the corporation
now rents part of the county gaol.

n44. Horse-racing appears to have been a very favourite amusement in Cumberland in the reign
of Charles II. Mr. T. Denton, in his MS. enumerates several horse-courses; as at Barrock-fell,
in Hesket; Low-Plaines, in the same parish; Harethwaite Common; Woodcock Hill, in Woodside; the sands at Skinburness and Drigg; at the latter was an annual race in May, with a plate
of 10l. established by Sir W. Pennington. Langanby Moor is called the famous horse-course of
the North; a famous horse-course in Westward also is mentioned, and one at Whitrigg in
Torpenhow, which "began at the foot of a hill called Car-mot, and ended upon the top of
Moothay, the ascent of which being so great a climb, they call that part of the hill, (says
Mr. Denton,) 'Trotter,' in regard that few horses can gallop up to the top thereof, but are
forced to trot ere they come to the top." Sir Patrick Curwen was about that time a great patron
of this amusement.

n45. Carlisle was not then a manufacturing town; it is probable that this was occasioned by
greater numbers of persons then living within the walls as a place of security.

n46. King Richard II. in consequence of this calamity, granted the citizens a remission of their
fee-farm rent of 80l. per ann. for four years, and 500 oaks out of Inglewood forest. Pat. Rot.
14 Ric. 2. part 2. m. 3.

n50. Fifty-one of these were uninhabited, and there were seven new houses building.

n51. Previously to this there was only a small manufactory of linen, besides that of whips and
fish-hooks, for which it had been long noted, and which is still carried on.

n52. When David King of Scots was at Carlisle in 1153, Henry archbishop of York made a complaint to him that the King's men who worked in argentariâ had committed devastations in his
forest. The word argentaria might apply to a silver mine or a mint. In a record of Henry II.
the lessee of the King's mine is spoken of. Carlisle is mentioned amongst other principal towns
which had the establishment of a mint, 9 John. See Decem Scriptores, col. 280. and Madox's
History of the Exchequer, p. 198 and 676.